Southern Eats Meet Portland Streets

Locally owned and operated businesses line Mississippi Avenue in North Portland, boasting Portland-grown talent and drive in shops, music venues and restaurants. Tucked right across the street from the excellent music venue Mississippi Studios, lies Miss Delta, one of Portland’s newest contributions to the Southern cooking trend.

The restaurant is dimly lit, just enough to see the black and white photographs on the wall of antique tools and machinery. The waitress, tattooed and hair-bobbed, seems to be the same Miss Delta from the sign above the door, smiling and showing us the utmost Southern hospitality.

Laid-back and polite, the waitress encourages time-taking to review the menu. The lemonade and soft drinks come in 32 ounce Mason jars, ensuring no need for a refill. The crispy hushpuppies ($4) are fluffy with just a nip from the jalapeño-tainted interior. Black-eyed pea fritters ($5) are among my favorites here, with a soft, almost sweet batter and dipped in a hot jalapeño cheese sauce.

As for the fried chicken ($12), the crunchy skin contrasts moist meat on the large chicken breast and leg, and is spiced just as it should be with salt and pepper. Mashed potatoes with veggie gravy smack of fresh rosemary and the collard greens seasoned with pork and salt are an excellent accompaniment the other two dishes.

Meatloaf, catfish and gumbo light up the menu, among other Southern stars. And the fried okra is guaranteed a top tier place in my next visit. The desserts, shiny and sugary on the countertop make me feel like I am in my mama’s house, waiting for a piece of her homemade pecan pie.

Next time you are in North Portland, pay a visit to Miss Delta and cure your homesickness – because no matter where you are from, you will feel at home in this place.

Miss Delta is at 3950 N. Mississippi Avenue in Portland and is open daily from 5 pm to midnight.

Article By Elizabeth Fuss, Lizzy Dishes Portland

[Image By Euphemistic, flickr]